Brian and Stevo – not the best of buds?

Truth told, I never really liked Brian Mulroney. I found him kind of arrogant and self-absorbed. He also got WAY too cozy with the Americans – IMHO. I ran in the 1993 election for these reasons, among others.

Ah, those were the days… when Canada actually led the world in something other than spin…

So when I read this piece on the lack of enthusiasm that Mr. Mulroney has for the Harper-led Conservative government, I was not really too surprised. Mulroney was a PM who, love him or hate him, articulated policies, not political opportunism.

It was an illuminating moment in a remarkably candid conversation.

Brian Mulroney, the most successful Conservative prime minister since Sir John A. Macdonald, was sitting down for a rare television interview the other day in Montreal.

TVOntario’s Steve Paikin, always adroit at coaxing politicians to dish, broached the subject of the May 2 election and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

“You’re voting for Mr. Harper, I take it,” said Paikin, coincidentally the moderator of Tuesday’s English-language leaders’ debate.

“At this point,” replied Mulroney with a pause that seemed to hang in the air longer than its mere second, “I’ll vote for the Conservative candidate in my constituency.”

Whoa!

Thanks Mr. Mulroney, for showing that it is not only we progressives who are uncomfortable with Harper’s version of conservative politics.